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In the aftermath of Helene, the federal government’s response has been the focus, with politicians spinning the event for perceived election gains. 

I can view the back of Chimney Rock Mountain from my front porch. Since the storm, I have seen many helicopters flying around the area daily and routinely hear heavy equipment cleaning up the mess of devastating floods. The cleanup response has been swift and effective. Power companies came through for us in what seemed like an insurmountable situation. Damaged roads in my area were back to operational at an impressive speed. Kudos to all the responders who stepped up and moved things back toward normalcy!

That said, I have heard much less discussion over how our local and national businesses responded in the storm’s aftermath. 

I would like to acknowledge our local general store, McGuinn’s on Highway 9, for being able to sell food and fuel the day after the storm hit. They had a gas line that lasted over two hours, but our neighbors and I got the much-needed gas for generators immediately after the power went out. McGuinn’s could do so because they invested in backup generators that could power their store.

Other local businesses failed on this point. Ingles, for instance, had no power for many days after the storm. They were not open in the immediate aftermath and had hundreds of gallons of gasoline sitting under the pumps, which were inaccessible due to the power outage. This is not the first time this location has shuttered because of a power outage; it’s happened multiple times in the last few years. They should have invested in generators so they could provide food and fuel to those most in need after the storm. This was not the case, and locals had a much more difficult time than they needed to, thanks to short-sighted decision-making.

Verizon, AT&T, and other communications companies also failed to provide service for many days after the storm. Search parties and cleanup crews were unable to communicate and coordinate their efforts. People facing dire situations were unable to signal that they needed help. These multi-billion dollar companies were not here for us in our time of greatest need. 

One hopes that these companies learn from their mistakes and prepare better for future catastrophes, but this is also an opportunity for us as a community to support those who supported us. 

My grocery shopping will tilt much more heavily towards supporting Food Lion in Columbus, which was open a couple days after the storm, and I’ll buy gas from McGuinn’s instead of Ingles. Let’s show them our appreciation and spend our money with the businesses that were there for us.

 

William Baird

Mill Spring